Category: Software Updates

We all hate that annoying screen pop up about updates.
And most of the time we click out of them, thinking “We’ll update later.” (But often we don’t)
But how important are these updates? Are they something that can safely be ignored? What are the risks?

It may be helpful to have a basic understanding of what an update is.

An update is a software file that contains “fixes” for issues or vulnerabilities that have been discovered with software or application. For security updates, these are often patches which help prevent hackers from getting into your system.

Sounds important to me.
So why do we delay or ignore these? It may be that part of the problem is that warning messages pop up somewhat randomly. Usually while we are right in the middle of that important spreadsheet, or while researching information on data breaches.
A new study from BYU, in collaboration with Google Chrome engineers, finds the status quo of warning messages appearing haphazardly—while people are typing, watching a video, uploading files, etc.—results in up to 90 percent of users disregarding them.*
Now we know what an update is and why it’s important, here’s a few tips to help in making this vital process go a little more smoothly.
• Set aside time each morning to check for updates, and if possible install immediately, before beginning your day. You will probably need to restart your computer, so be prepared for that.
• Install updates as soon as possible after being notified. This should probably be read as “Update Immediately”
• If you lack the time to manually update, use the task scheduler and have the updates installed automatically.

Updating is a very simple but critical action you need to take to help ensure the safety and security of yours and your customer data.
Need more convincing? Read this:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-installing-software-updates-makes-us-wannacry/

Need help with the updates, here are a few links below which can help.
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/311047/how-to-keep-your-windows-computer-up-to-date
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/294871
Now get out there and update.